8 ways to avoid getting conned

Social networking can be a great way to keep up with friends and family, but scammers have found the Internet a gold mine of opportunity. Most of us know not to click on links in emails from people we don't know or to acknowledge those silly get-rich-quick schemes from strangers, but you should never underestimate a con artist's creativity. For instance, a recent scam on Facebook involves a fake game based on the "Twilight" series. Fans are prompted to click on the link, exposing their personal information to scammers.

Best rule of thumb: Be on your guard and never click on links of unknown origin. Check on them by running a search with the relevant keyword (in this case, "Twilight") and "complaint" or "scam."